Blueberry Pancakes at Foveaux Street Taste Baguette

K’s uncle and aunt recently visited from Malaysia for two weeks. They’re actually technically second cousins, but as anyone from an Asian background would know, familial relationships are generally reduced to generic terms like “cousin” (four variations, depending on whether they are older or younger, female or male), “aunt” and “uncle”. This is regardless of whether they are a first cousin, second cousin, third cousin, family friend, former neighbour, former colleague of your parents, or simply the head waiter at your local Chinese restaurant. Relationships don’t need to make sense!

His aunt and uncle stayed with his grandparents, and were shown around Sydney and its surrounds by various members of his large extended family. However, we made sure that we got to take them out (just us and them) at least once during their visit, to a food experience they wouldn’t normally find in their small town in Malaysia – breakfast at French-Vietnamese fusion cafe Taste Baguette on Foveaux St in Surry Hills, stomping grounds of the cafe lifestyle.

I ordered blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and ricotta – perhaps a strange choice considering that it was the only item on the menu that didn’t have house-baked baguettes or rolls as the main dish. I generally subscribe to the idea that you should always order the house specialty – it’s their best dish for a reason, and there’s no point in ordering a dish that’s not the best they have to offer!

I should have followed that maxim myself, and chosen a baguette. Unfortunately, these pancakes were too thick and rubbery, without the light airiness that I’ve grown accustomed to. I also expected the blueberries to be baked into the pancakes, as that’s what the menu hinted at – blueberry pancakes, not pancakes with blueberries. While it wasn’t a terrible dish, I certainly didn’t enjoy it as much as my dining companions enjoyed their smoked salmon baguettes.

I award Taste Baguette a 6 out of 10 – though note, this score is based on this one dish alone! I reserve my right to revise this score in the future if or when I try their house specialty.